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Re: Jason, how is the USAPL going to clean up

Posted By: Cheryl Anderson
Date: Friday, 18 November 2005, at 5:04 a.m.

In Response To: Re: Jason, how is the USAPL going to clean up (Disa Hatfield)

"The very few instances in which a lifter at nationals has had unfavorable things to say about us definately helped to create that bad situation."

Disa, it sounds like what you're saying is that if a lifter has had anything negative to say (or even if it is only perceived that way in someone's mind), they are going to be causing themselves to be treated poorly. The lifter must think a certain way, act a certain way, and certainly not speak up if they feel a certain way... otherwise they are going to help create a bad situation? So it's not about the sport, not about the individual lifters, not about retaining membership... it's about who to brown-nose and where else NOT to lift?

I applaud the USAPL members (I'm one of them, BTW) who have the guts to actually look at the organization and care about its members and what can be improved. I cringe when I see members (often friends of those in various leadership positions) who say "nothing is wrong with us, everything is fine; it's other people who are causing the problem" or who try to either censor or jump all over someone who begs to differ instead of considering the truth. Is this organization not run by its membership? Or are some in this organization trying to control its members using manipulation and intimidation?

There was a question posed on the original USAPL forum about membership retention, and here is what I think:

USAPL can retain (or recruit) members by treating them with respect, listening to what they have to say, and not trying to manipulate them. It really is about that basic concept – just like in any other areas of peoples’ lives – how they are treated matters a lot. That is what I hear about, more than any other issue, and it is what I have personally experienced. Many will NOT openly say so to someone who is in a power position in USAPL, by the way, and for obvious reasons – some here do not take feedback or constructive criticism well. There are some that are in denial, some that are overly defensive, and some that are overly prideful or just plain paranoid. None of the above helps the organization.

USAPL already provides lots of meets in probably more places than any other org, and it’s the IPF affiliate, so it is not about lack of opportunities or incentives. It’s whether or not the experience of being here is pleasant, and that has to do with the people in those positions that affect the rest of the membership and the overall reputation of the organization.

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